1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic continuous carpet cleaning waste water disposal apparatus, for either commercial use by professional carpet cleaners or homeowners with a central vacuum system. A large capacity primary tank collects the waste liquid and air continuously from a cleaning wand during the cleaning of soiled carpets, separates the liquid from the gas, and filters both materials. Then the filtered liquid is passed to a smaller capacity secondary tank, wherein the liquid is continuously disposed by a pump to a wastewater drain. The secondary tank is equipped with an automatic slide valve for closing off the flow from the primary tank when the secondary tank is overloaded. The secondary tank has an air vent and a float with a cutoff switch for stopping the pump when the liquid level has reached a minimum level. The two tanks can be integrated and used in the home or separated with the large tank outside the home in a vehicle. The versatile system can be operated on 12 V. D.C. (vehicle) or 115 V. A.C. (dwelling).
2. Description of Related Art
The following related art describes various machinery and modes of operation in disposing of liquid waste. However, there is a failure to recognize the versatility of a disposal apparatus that can be either operated in situ or in part outside the building being cleaned. The related art fails to describe a relatively maintenance free apparatus which requires only periodic washing out of the tanks. The advantage of leaving a job site with emptied tanks in the vehicle or cleaning apparatus is not seen in most of the related art.
The related art of interest will be discussed in the order of perceived relevance to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,612 issued on Jan. 31, 1989, to Edward R. Valentine describes a vacuum power booster with automatic waste liquid discharge for a carpet cleaning water vacuum extraction apparatus. The dirty waste liquid from the vacuum pickup wand is conducted by vacuum to a mobile second waste liquid storage tank adjacent to the pickup wand for filtering and expulsion of air by an overhead vacuum pulling motor. The liquid level in the second tank is maintained either automatically by the positions of the inlet and outlet ports or a float and switch device to open an outlet valve when the liquid level is high. The filtered liquid is conducted to the first tank located outside the building in a vehicle and back directly to the cleaning wand. No volume capacities of either tank are disclosed. The first tank is housed with a cleaning solution storage tank from which the cleaning solution is apparently added to the recycled liquid. Other monitors on the first tank are gauges for fluid flow and pressure. Also, air is exhausted to the atmosphere from the first tank. It is clear that only two separated liquid tanks are contemplated with recycling of the cleaning liquid in the system. Therefore, this reference is distinguished by not discharging the filtered but dirty fluid into a sewer system and the requirement of two vacuum sources.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,217 issued on Mar. 9, 1976, to Jack A. Bates describes a carpet cleaning machine comprising a wet vacuum pickup wand, a main collector tank integrated within the cleaning fluid reservoir on a cart and an auxiliary collecting tank on a separate stand/cart for separation of the residue. The upright barrel-shaped auxiliary collecting tank receives the dirty cleaning fluid from the wand, and recycles the fluid when the fluid level reaches the top of the tank to the main collector tank. When the collected sediment reaches the top of the auxiliary collecting tank, the tube from the wand is connected to the main collector tank and the dirty liquid is recycled and collects in the main collector tank. Power for liquid flow and vacuum pull is supplied by a motor driving a pump and a blower on the cart. This system requires the two collecting tanks to move with the cleaning wand, whereas the present invention utilizes stationary collection tanks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,428 issued on Apr. 25, 1989, to Conrad Sevigny describes a waste liquid disposal apparatus for an industrial floor cleaning system with detergents. The collection tank has an overhead vacuum pump which vacuums waste water from the cleaning machine for disposal into a tank. When the waste water reaches a predetermined level as determined by a set of three electrodes and a control unit, the tank on the toilet bowl empties automatically into a toilet. An additional apparatus supplies the detergent to the water coming from a water tap, which is pumped under pressure to the mobile floor cleaning unit. This reference is distinguished (1) by having only one collection tank, (2) requiring the use of the toilet bowl or a permanent fixture to a water plug drain for disposal of the detergent containing waste water, and (3) requiring the use of the detergent-mixing apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,000 issued on Oct. 7, 1980, to Herbert Tribolet describes a wet and dry vacuum cleaning system using hot water from a tap. A vacuum motor in a wheeled canister pulls a vacuum through a first dirty water tank and the cleaning wand. Apparently, enough vacuum is applied to suck a supply of cleaning water from a second tank in the sink and connected to the water tap. The first tank can be placed on top of and combined with the wheeled vacuum pulling canister. The collected dirty water is not filtered but disposed of when the first dirty water tank is full. The reference is further distinguished by its requirement of a hot water faucet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,410 issued on Apr. 8, 1997, to George M. Wallace et al. describes an automatically draining vacuum apparatus for a dry vacuum apparatus of a dental aspirator. The apparatus requires a float to partially block a vacuum port to create a second vacuum force which is less than the first vacuum force to allow the fluid to drain to restore the first vacuum force. The apparatus is distinguished by its multiple walled structure and reliance on a specific use for dental aspiration.
German Patent Application No. DE 3,739,731 A1 published on Jun. 15, 1989, for Peter Worwag describes a spray extraction carpet cleaning apparatus using electric motors in the cover of the wheeled cleaning fluid canister to drive the pump for application of cleaning fluid, and in the cover of wheeled dirty liquid canister to drive the suction pump for subsequent removal and recycle of the soiled liquid. As best understood, there is no filtration of the sediment from the dirty liquid. In fact, the perforated collection head in the dirty liquid tank rests on the bottom where the sediment is expected to settle. The reference provides for the interchangeability of the covers with its apparatus to be utilized on only one canister, and the wheeled canisters would not be capable of holding a large volume of dirty liquid in the primary tank.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.